May 25, 2021

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Lisa Leuning, director of marketing, strategy and product growth at Avera Health.

Name: Lisa Leuning

Age: 42

Hometown: Madison

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I grew up in Madison, South Dakota, and went to DSU there as well. After graduation, I was ready for something new and a bigger city to call home. Sioux Falls offered many job opportunities and the new adventure I was looking for. I also was interested in getting my MBA, and the University of Sioux Falls provided the flexibility I needed to accomplish that.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

I love my job at Avera, and my husband has a family-owned company that is located here as well. I have three kids and have found that keeping them busy is key to keeping the peace at my house! I love all the family-themed activities that Sioux Falls has to offer.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I love marketing and learning new ways to reach our consumers. It’s a field that is always changing – and I love the challenges that it brings. No two days are ever the same. When I became the director of marketing at Avera, I got to learn some new service areas that include Avera Health Plans, Avera eCARE, Avera@Home and Avera PACE. This has allowed me to meet a lot of new people. I have found that in every area I work, the passion that Avera employees bring to their service areas is inspiring. It is easy to market these services because they are so passionate about helping people.

I feel like I market something that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Our eCARE services help other hospitals and long-term care facilities save lives and reduce stress on staff. Having quality health insurance and a local team behind you can make all the difference in the world when a diagnosis can bring emotional stress and also financial stress. Avera@Home has made some amazing changes in the last year to help respond to the pandemic and has helped over 5,000 patients recover at home.

I’ve marketed everything from cattle feed to taxidermy services, but I get the most job satisfaction from working in health care-related fields that can really impact the lives of many.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I took a class at DSU and knew I was interested in a career in marketing and technology; I just wasn’t sure what that looked like. I worked at two really great marketing agencies in Sioux Falls – Paulsen and Insight Marketing Design – before I landed at Avera. I’ve been at Avera for over five years and can’t see myself working in any other industry.

Describe Avera in three words.

Compassionate. Caring. Inspiring.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I really enjoy new adventures and traveling. Most weekends, you can find me with my husband and three boys doing something outdoors or trying something new. From ice fishing this winter to going to zoos around the area to zip lining in the Black Hills, I love to create new memories with my family.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

I really enjoy supporting small businesses, from restaurants to boutiques to food trucks! The very creative team I work with came up with ideas of how Avera Health Plans could support small businesses, and last year we ended up with an idea to support 605 Day. Avera Health Plans and others in the community bought hundreds of gift cards from small businesses around South Dakota, which we then gave out to essential workers on 605 Day. It was so much fun to bring joy to small businesses but to also show our support to essential workers during COVID.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

Trader Joe’s! I have an employee who has shared her love of Trader Joe’s with me and brings me healthy food options back when she goes there. My employee has been emailing them every week for three years requesting they come to Sioux Falls! I’m also still waiting for Dave & Buster’s to open in Sioux Falls. I love any type of new businesses that come to Sioux Falls that allows me to spend more time with my family.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I would love to continue to grow with leadership opportunities at Avera. Marketing is one of my many passions, but I love helping employees grow in their career path so they can achieve their goals and aspirations. I have had some really amazing female leaders during my career who have encouraged me and shown me how to manage a team with innovation and compassion, and I love bringing that type of leadership forward for my team. I just graduated from Leadership Sioux Falls and have really enjoyed learning even more about what Sioux Falls has to offer our community. Sioux Falls has many mentorship programs available, and I would love to get involved with one of those in the future as well.